Days To Maturity
The average number of days from when the plant is actively growing in the garden to the expected time of harvest.

59 days

Fruit Size
The average size of the fruit produced by this product.

3 inches

Sun
The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.

Full Sun

Spread
The width of the plant at maturity.

12 inches

Height
The typical height of this product at maturity.

8-10 inches

Sow Method
This refers to whether the seed should be sown early indoors and the seedlings transplanted outside later, or if the seed should be sown directly in the garden at the recommended planting time.

Thin to stand about 3" apart when seedlings are 1-2" tall. Note that beet seeds are actually clusters of seeds and require more thinning than other crops.

How to Grow

Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating.

Keep plants well watered during dry periods to promote uninterrupted growth. Plants need about 1 inch of rain per week during the growing season. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. It’s best to water with a drip or trickle system that delivers water at low pressure at the soil level. If you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before evening, to minimize disease problems. Keep the soil moist but not saturated.

Monitor for pests and diseases. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.

Harvest and Preserving Tips

Pick the greens when they are 4-6 inches long and the roots are less than 2 inches in diameter.

Harvest roots at 1 inch for baby beets, up to 3 inches for mature beets.

Store fall-harvested beets at 33-35°F at 95% humidity.

Cook beet greens like spinach.

Beet roots can be pickled, grilled, baked or broiled.

To prevent red beets from excessive “bleeding” in cooking, wait until after cooking to peel, remove taproots and slice. Trim off the tops about 1 inch above the roots and wash carefully with a vegetable brush. Boil until tender, then plunge into cold water. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off with your fingers and remove the little taproots. Slice the beets, or serve whole.

Product Details

Days To Maturity

59 days

Fruit Size

3 inches

Sun

Full Sun

Spread

12 inches

Height

8-10 inches

Sow Method

Direct Sow

Planting Time

Spring, Summer

Sow Time

2-4 weeks BLF

Thin

4 inches

Life Cycle

Annual

Reviews

Beet, Detroit Dark Red Med Top is rated
4.2 out of
5 by
22.

Rated 1 out of
5 by
LI Gardener from
Poor ProductionI planted the seed tape on March 25 and, as of July 1, am still waiting for a beet large enough to harvest. There are plenty of plants but the beets are tiny.

Date published: 2017-07-02

Rated 2 out of
5 by
DTAUB from
Good beet but poor productI have been using Detroit Dark Reds for many years. I love the quality of the beet itself. My poor rating is because of the seed tape. I will not use it again. I had very poor germination. Those that grew were very good, but I barely got enough for the table out of a full tape. A neighbor of mine had the exact same experience. I'll continue to use Detroit Dark Reds as it is the best beet I've ever tried, but definitely not the seed tape. I thought it would save me the work of thinning, but instead I did not get a full crop of beets. Disappointing!

Date published: 2015-11-25

Rated 4 out of
5 by
wabef from
ClassicExcellent product. Lovely color, great sweetness!

Date published: 2015-09-14

Rated 5 out of
5 by
LynnW from
Give beets a chance!These beets will get even non beet eaters to love them. So sweet and tender. I usually steam them and add a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add them to salads but they are also deliciious by themselves. Never tried freezing them before but after reading others reviews I will try next year. I'll have to grow more though as they get eaten rather quickly here.

Date published: 2014-11-03

Rated 5 out of
5 by
grandpa48 from
Seed tapes are the way to goI've always had a hard time getting beets to sprout and grow. Most years; however, here in North Central Kansas, are exceptionally hot and dry. This year I bought four packets of the seed tapes and planted them in a 45' double row about 12" apart. It seems that every seed germinated and grew like wildfire--they are about 1" apart. I planted the seeds the first part of April, 2014, didn't start thinning until the largest beets were about 1" to 1-1/2" in diameter, June 5th. This year is so far just right for everything, as far as timely rain and temperate sunshine foes, and the tops are lush and delicious. After this year's experience, I will always try to plant my beets using the Burpee's Detroit Dark Red seed tapes. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Date published: 2014-06-09

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Salsalady from
Best beets ever!I planted these beets for a few years now. They freeze great and the flavor is amazing. I cannot say enough about the quality of Burpee seeds. The beets greens are deliscious too.

Date published: 2013-08-29

Rated 5 out of
5 by
KMAmbrose from
The Finest Beets You Can BuyI have been growing and eating these beets in abundance for years. They have the deepest color of any other I have grown and while they're not particularly uniform in size, they can or freeze nicely. They have a nice texture that doesn't get woody even in the larger beets and a sweetness that you don't find in all varieties. This is my go-to beet for large yields and shelves full of canned red beets every year... wear gloves when working with them though, the intense color of these beets will stain your hands, countertops or anything else they touch but fortunately Clorox Clean Up will take it off hard surfaces.

Date published: 2013-01-13

Rated 2 out of
5 by
Donn from
Not goodI got the tape of this product. Out of the entire box, only got 5 beets!
Next time I'll get just the seeds and forget the tape.